Heat exchange device



Oct- 19 1954 A. J. SCHUTT ETAL 2,691,991

HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed Aug. 50, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l ff 4maentors MM@ Y attorneys C 19, 1954 A. J. scHuTT E-rAL HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30', 1950 Patented Oct. 19, 1954 einem @iFlCE HEAT EXCHANGE DEVCE Arthur 5. Schutt, Willard Charles .l2 OBrien, Lockport, N. Y.,

. Emmons, and assignors Application August 39, 1950, Serial No. 182,308

(Cl. 13S-3S) ii Claims.

This invention relates to devices for exchanging heat between a plurality of fluids and has particular relation to heat exchange devices for heating or cooling relatively viscous fluids such as the oil employed in lubricating engines and other mechanical devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a heat exchange device which will perform efficiently, wi. and to assemble, which will not get out of order, and which may be constructed and assembled from parts that may be manufactured at high rates of production and at low cost.

It is now the practice for certain purposes to employ fluid flow directing members or turbulence devices in the tubes of heat exchange apparatus, particularly where lubricating oil or other relatively viscous fluids are being cooled and Where the fluid being cooled may tend to stratify in annular rings upon the interior surfaces of the heat exchanger tubes. Such stratication tends to insulate the uid within the central parts of the tubes from the cooling medium surrounding the tubes. These devices, however, have been somewhat expensive to manufacture, they have not always been effective in bringing all of the fluid to be cooled at short intervals in thermal contact with the interior surfaces of the tubes and as the fluid moves throughout the lengths of the tubes, they have been diicult to install and they have hada tendency to become displaced during the operation of a heat exchange device, particularly when the heat exchange device is moved or is subject to movement during use.

It is now proposed to provide a heat exchange device in which turbulence members or devices of such type can be easily employed and installed and in which these devices will not become displaced, regardless of the movement of the heat exchange device and regardless of which side of the heat exchange device may be disposed upwardly or downwardly.

It is also proposed to provide a turbulencel member or device which can be manufactured in large quantities at low cost and by the employment of simple and inexpensive tools, methods, and equipment.

For a more complete description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View of a heat exchange device embracing the principles of the invention. Figure 1 is shown partly in elevation taken normally with respect to the plane of Figure l and substantially in the plane of line 3 3 on Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective viewv illustrating a fabricated strip such as may be einpioyed in the formation of ow directing or turbulence members or-devices embraced'in the heat exchange device illustrated by the preceding figures.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective'view of' one of the turbulence devicesor members.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 3, thenumeral it indicates generally a heat exchange device orfapparatus designed particularly for the purpose of cooling the lubricating oil employed in a diesel locomotive, and for other similar pur'-y poses.

rihe device comprises a `fabricatedsupporter frame il, the frame comprising side members* i2, flanged end members i3 and I4, and circulating baffles it. The baffles it are employed in any-V suitable manner for the purpose of directionally' circulating cooling fluid in any desired manner throughout the device. The flanged members I3- and ici engage end frames ll and I8 whichvin turn support heads or plates I9 and 2I having inwardly disposed depressions 22 and 23 formed therein respectively. The members I 3 andl I4 are secured to the end frames Il and I8 and the end frames to the plates I9 and 2i by bolts indicated at 24.

Secured within the depressions 22 and 23 formed in the plates i9 and 2l are any number of rows of tubes indicated in the present instance by the numerals 26 to Sli. These rows of tubes are parallel to one another with the tubes in each row being staggered with respectY to the tubes in adjacent rows.

The tubes in all of the rows 2B to 34 areindi cated generally by the numeral 36.

The tubes St are secured in openings formed in the plates is and 2l by silver soldering, brazing, or other suitable means indicated at 3l. Also the ends of the tubes 36 are adapted to vextend' beyond the plates I9 and 2l as is indicated at tu but the ends of the tubes terminate well within the depressions indicated at 22 and 23.

In each of the tubes 36 there is disposed a flow directing device or turbulence member indicated at 39, the members 39 being adapted to extend throughout the length of the tubes 36 and somewhat beyond the ends thereof, but within the depressions indicated at 22 and 23. One end of each of the turbulence members 39 is formed in such a way as to provide laterally extending abutments indicated at 4l, the abutments 4l being employed for the purpose of limiting the movement of the members 39 within the tubes 36 in one direction.

The opposite ends of the members 39 are formed in such a way as to provide circular openings indicated at 42, and through which openings wires 43 are adapted to be projected. One of the wires 43 is provided for the turbulence members in each of the rows of tubes indicated at 26 to 34 and when the wires 43 are projected through the openings 42 in the turbulence members 39 in each row of the tubes 36, the wires 43 will limit in one direction the movement of the turbulence members 39 within the tubes 36.

The distance between the abutments 4I and the openings 42 is somewhat greater than the length of the tubes 36 but not great enough to permit the wires 43 to extend outside the depressions 22 when all of the turbulence members 39 are in such position that the abutments 4i engage the ends of the tubes 36. The wires 43 may have suihcient resilience to bend enough so that the wires can be inserted within the depression 22 and through the openings 42 without permanently bending the wires 43. When so assembled within the depression 22 and through the openings 42, it will be apparent that the ends of the wires 43 will always abut the plates I9 at the ends of the depression 22, regardless of the position of the heat exchanger Ill or of the position of the turbulence members 39 within the tubes 36.

The depressions 22 and 23 are adapted to be closed by suitable oil distribution manifolds or headers, not shown, but which are adapted to be secured to the structure IU by bolts adapted to project through openings indicated at 44.

Lubricating oil or other iiuid to be cooled is adapted to be supplied to the heat exchange structure I9 through one of the manifolds or headers referred to, and to be exhausted from the other. The oil lls the depressions 22 and 23 and flows from one end to another of the structure i6 through the tubes indicated at 36.

The entire structure I9 including the distribution manifolds or headers referred to is adapted to be inserted in a tank, not shown, but through which cooling water or other suitable cooling iiuid will be circulated in any suitable manner around the structure and particularly around and between the tubes 36.

The turbulence members 39 are formed by employing strips of metal or other suitable material indicated generally at 45. The strips 46 are adapted to be slotted in such a way as to form a plurality of openings 41 and from which openings tongues 48 are bent laterally in one direction and from corresponding edges of each of the openings. The openings 47 are formed in spaced relation to one another, within the edges of the strip 46 and throughout the length of the strip 46.

Between the openings 41 and extending inwardly in opposed relation to one another from eacn edge of the strip 46 are slits 45 and from the slits 45 the material of the strip 46 is also bent laterally in the same direction as the tongues 46 to provide angularly disposed tongues or pairs of tongues indicated by the numerals 49. The tongues 49, when angularly bent in the same direction and at opposite angles with respect to one another, provide angularly disposed openings or notches 5i projecting inwardly from the edges of the strip 46 in opposed relation to one another and intermediate the openings 47.

One of the turbulence members 39 is constructed by cutting off approximately twice as great a length of the strip 46 as the length of one of the members 39. The tongues 48 near each end of the strip 46 are bent inwardly to fill the openings 4l as is indicated by the numeral 52. An opening 4i is then selected midway between the opposite ends of the strip and the tongue 43 is then cut out of this opening. Such intermediate opening is indicated by the numeral 53. The strip 45 is then bent Vdouble midway between the opposite ends thereof and across the opening 53 and in such manner that the openings 47 in one section of the strip are aligned with the openings 4l in the other section thereof. Hence, the openings 41 in each section of the strip are likewise aligned with respect to one another.

The two sections of the strip 46 are indicated by the numerals 54 and 56. g

When bending the strip 46 to provide the two sections 54 and 56 into surface Contact with one another, the strip is bent upon the opening 53 in a direction such that the tongues 48 and 49 will project in opposite directions with respect to one another and outwardly with respect to the turbulence member 39. f

The material of the strip 46 forming the sides of the opening 53 is then bent outwardly in the plane of the member 39 to provide the angularly disposed abutments or stops indicated by the nu'- merals 4I.

Openings 42 are then punched through the inwardly benttongues 52 of the two strip sections 54 and 56 at the end of the member 39 opposite the abutments 4l.

The member 39 is now completely formed and ready for utilization in a tube such as those indicated at 35. Any number of the members 39 may be made merely by repeating these operations as described.

In order to assemble the members 39 within the tubes 36 of a heat exchange structure such as that indicated by the numeral I0, it is necessary only to fill all the tubes of the structure with the members 39 by inserting the ends of each of the members 39 having the openings 42 therein in the same direction within the tubes 36. The wires 43 then may be strung through the open ings 42 in each of the rows of tubes indicated by the numerals 26 to 34.

It will be apparent that the members 39 can be removed from the tubes 36 for cleaning purposes. This can be done merely by removing the outside headers for the heat exchange device and then pulling out each groupV of members 39 as the wires 34 are removed therefrom. 'The inside surfaces of the tubes 36 and themembers 39 then may be scrubbed or cleaned by chemical or mechanical means.

The oil or other fluid, in flowing through the tubes 39 to and from the depressions 22 and 23, in the plates I9 and 2|, will be deiiected by the tongues 48 and 49- in many different Vways throughout successive 'regionson'feachside of` the members 3S.

For example, theoil-.on one side of a member 39 may approach the tongues 48 from a direction in which some of the'oil will `tend. to be denected by the tongues 43 through the openings il to uthe opposite sides ofthe members 3Q. In such event the further movement of the oil will be opposed by adjacent tongues i8A on the opposite sides of the member Se. Oil 'which does not flow through the openings lll to the opposite sides of the members 39 will be caused to flow around theV tongues it and between the tongues and the interior surface or" the tube. When the oil does flow around one of the tongues ltd in this'manner, it will first tend to be directed toward or against the inside surface of the tube from all-of the edges of the tongue and after striking theu tube then will be deilected around the edges of the tongue in such manner as to scrub the inside surfaces of the tube in such region. rThis scrubbing of surface and the increase in velocity which attends this movement will tend to remove any heated and stratified oil from the surface and will cause good thermal contact between the oil and the surface in such regions.

Oil which approaches one of the tongues its on the opposite side of one of the members se' will not be in a position to immediately new through one of the openings il? because on such side of the member the openings il are on the remote sides cf the tongues 138. Under such circumstances much vof theoil Ywill be compelled lto iiow outwardly toward and against the inside surface oi the tubes and thence through the spaces between the edges of the tongues i8 and the inside surfaces of the tubes. This movement will be similar to the movement which occurs around the tongues Q53 on the opposite side of a member 3s.

As the oil attempts to flow between the tongues i9 which are formed directly opposite one another on opposite edges of the members 39, the oil will tend to be disturbed in the straight line movement in which it tends to flow. The oil will be speeded up in velocity between the oppositely disposed pairs of tongues it and this will tend to promote mixing of the oil and turbulence within the oil in such regions. Also as the oil flows close to the edges of the tongues de, it will be further agitated and will be directed between the edges of these tongues and the interior surface of the tubes. Some of the oil so directed will tend to flow through the notches 5| which are formed between the tongues @9 and to the opposite sides of the members 39'.

This continuous stirring and churning of the oil which is caused by all of the tongues 48 and 49 will cause the oil to be intermittently directed in diferent directions within the tube and to flow at various velocities and to engage successive inside surfaces of the tubes for scrubbing the tubes and for preventing stratification of the oil thereon. Also as the oil is continuously directed toward the inside surfaces of the tubes, each part of the oil will be successively and repeatedly brought into immediate thermal contact with the inside surfaces of the tubes where it will be subject to the direct exchange of heat with such surfaces.

The strips i6 are of such width that the members 39, when constructed as hereinbefore indicated, will closely t the oppositely disposed inside surfaces of each of the tubes 36 and since the members 39 will be relatively uniformly heated by the fluid passing successively through the openings'l and 5l as hereinbefore described;` the members 39- will einciently conduct thev heat"-v absorbed to the edges of the members 39' and to the tubes 36.

We claim:

1. A heat exchange device comprising a tube' having a flow directing turbulence member disposed therein and extending along the length of said tube, said member comprising a strip having alternately disposed slits and openings formed therein, said slits being formed to extend inwardly from opposite edges of said strip and said open-l ings being formed within said strip and between said slits, and tongues extending laterally from the edges of said slits.

2. A-turbulence member comprising an clongated strip having an opening therein between theends of said strip and being bent back upon it' self at said opening to provide a pair of parallel strip ends disposed in thermally contacting relation to one another throughout the length of said strip ends, said strip being deformed laterally on opposite sides of said opening to provide abutments projecting beyond the edges of said strip for limiting the movement of said strip within a tube.

3. A turbulence device comprising an elongated flat strip having a pair of parallel sections disposed in face to face relation to one another and angularly disposed tongues projecting laterally from one edge of each oi said sections and in opposite directions from each of said sections, said tongues being formed in cppositely disposed pairs with the tongues'of each pair being disposed in a plane intersecting the plane of an adjacent pair.

4. A fluid flow directing turbulence device comprising a relatively nat member having parallel edges and having said edges interrupted by angularly disposed tongues projecting from opposite surfaces thereof and disposed in pairs of tongues with the tongues of each pair lying in substantially the same plane and disposed at opposite angles relative to the edges of said member, said member being formed at one end to provide angularly disposed stops projecting laterally beyond the edges of said strip and within the plane of said member.

5. A lturbulence device, comprising, an elongated relatively ilat member having a series of openings provided in spaced relation and disposed between the side edges thereof, a struck out tongue disposed adjacent one edge of each of said openings, said member having a series of notches provided along each side edge thereof and disposed between said openings, and struck out tongues extending laterally from the edges of each of said notches.

6. A turbulence device, comprising, an elongated relatively flat member comprising a pair of parallel sections disposed in abutting relation over the length thereof and having aligned openings provided therein in spaced relation between the side edges thereof, tongues projecting laterally from a pair of opposite edges of said openings, one of said tongues extending laterally in one direction and the other tongue extending laterally in the opposite direction, a plurality of aligned substantially triangular notches provided along each edge of said sections, substantially triangular projections extending laterally from each edge of each of said notches, the said substantially triangular projections on said sections extending in opposite directions, and projecting means in- 7. tegral with 'one end of said member for retain.- ing the latter against movement in one direction.

7. A turbulence device comprising a pair of elongated, relatively at, parallel sections disposed in abutting relation substantially over the length thereof, said section having spaced aligned openings provided over the length thereof, and spaced struck-out tongues formed on each of said sections, the said tongues projecting from one of the said sections extending outwardly from one edge of said openings and the said tongues projecting from the other section extending outwardly from the opposite edge of said openings, whereby the said tongues are disposed in staggered relation over the length of said member.

8. A turbulence device comprising a pair of elongated, relatively flat, parallel sections disposed in abutting relation substantially over the length thereof, said sections having spaced aligned openings provided over the length thereof, spaced struck-out tongues formed on each of said sections, the said tongues projecting from ting relation over substantially the length there'-i of, said sections having spaced aligned openings provided over the length thereof, struck-out tongues disposed intermediate the side edges of each of said sections, struck-out tongues extending laterally from at least one edge of each of said sections forming spaced, substantially aligned notches along the length thereof, and said last mentioned tongues being of substantially triangular construction and being struck out from each of said sections in such a manner as to form aligned substantially V-shaped notche therein.

References Cited in the le of this patent` UNITED STATES PATENTSV Number Name Date 1,056,373 Segelken Mar. 18, 1913 1,235,908 Lovekin Aug. 7, 1917 1,606,739 Averill Nov. 16, 1926 1,749,342 Hazen Mar. 4, 1930 1,770,208 Kamnal July 8, 1 930 1,816,159 smith July 28, 1'931 1,881,610 Hyde Oct. 11, 1932 2,091,274 Eggleston Aug. 31, 1937 2,161,887 Ramsaur June 13, 1939 2,252,209 Schank et al. Aug. 12, 1941 2,359,288 Brinen Oct. 3, 1944 2,378,646 Manning June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 680,070 Germany Aug. 21, 1939 

